Inaugural event honors impressive class of entrepreneurs
Fort Worth, Texas (Jan. 16) – FW Inc., Greater Fort Worth’s Premier Business Magazine, honored 33 finalists and awarded 10 outstanding Fort Worth entrepreneurs (one award winner in 10 different industry categories) at its inaugural Entrepreneur of Excellence (EOE) award ceremony, Thursday, Jan. 12 at the Fort Worth Club. The industry categories included: aviation, energy and natural resources, health care, manufacturing and distribution, media and communications, real estate, residential construction, commercial construction, professional services, and retail services.
Michael O. Browning from Urban Air Trampoline & Adventure Parks was the winner in the Retail Services category.
Members of the improvisational group Four Day Weekend were the masters of ceremony, bringing humor and elements of their improv show to the banquet, resulting in an entertaining event with an “Oscar Night” feel, celebrating the success of the winners and finalists.
Eighteen Judges, not employed by FW Inc., evaluated nominees in financial performance, vision, best practices, relationship building, and community involvement, with equal weights. Finalists’ annual revenues ranged from $1 million, the minimum required for eligibility, up to $268 million. First Preston HT provided the software platform to ensure the application data was secure and to provide a user-friendly experience for the judges to evaluate the nominees.
The Entrepreneur of Excellence Award Program is the cover feature story in the January/February issue of FW Inc., which includes all finalist profiles. Subscriber copies were mailed on Jan. 12 and newsstand copies will be on sale the fourth week of January.
“Our city’s economic success is the result of encouraging and rewarding the entrepreneurial instinct of men and women who take risks to start and grow businesses, which is why we created the FW Inc. Entrepreneur of Excellence awards. All 33 EOE finalists are a big part of why Fort Worth is becoming known as the entrepreneurial capital of Texas,” said Hal Brown, publisher and owner of Panther City Media Group, parent company of FW Inc. and Fort Worth magazine.
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Complete List of Winners:
Aviation
Reed Pigman, Texas Jet, Inc.
Construction (Commercial)
Chris Jordan and Luke Jordan, Electro Acoustics, Inc.
Construction (Residential)
Edward (Trey) Hardin, NH Southern Development
Energy & Natural Resources
Gregory Cobb, Precise Energy Products, Inc.
Health Care
Dr. Michael Boothby, Orthopedic & Sports Medicine Institute
Manufacturing & Distribution
Debbie Cooley, M-PAK, Inc.
Media & Communications
Frost Prioleau, Simpli.fi
Real Estate
Alexander Chandler, Alexander Chandler Realty
Services (Professional)
Rusty Reid, Higginbotham
Services (Retail)
Michael Browning, Urban Air Trampoline & Adventure Parks
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List of Judges:
John Avila, Thos. S. Byrne Construction; Steve Greig, Auto Maxx; Dorian Sims, Stacy Furniture; Andrew Blake, Presidio Interests; Grant James, Origin Bank; Hillary Strasner, ProLab; Darlene Boudreaux, TECH Fort Worth; Steve Laird, Law Offices of Steven C. Laird, P.C.; Robert Sturns, City of Fort Worth; Johnny Campbell, Sundance Square; Mark Page, Tailwind Advisors, Zyn Fitness; Andy Taft, Downtown Fort Worth, Inc.; Toby Darden, Wolfcamp Water Partners; Vince Puente, Southwest Office Systems; Jodi Tommerdahl, University of Texas at Arlington; Homer Erekson, TCU Neeley School of Business; Ken Schaefer, Schaefer Advertising; Martha Williams, Williams Trew.
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About FW Inc. magazine: FW Inc. is Fort Worth’s premier business magazine, published bi-monthly for local entrepreneurs and corporate C-level executives. A four-color, perfect-bound periodical, FW Inc. tells the stories of the area’s best and brightest who unpack their professional journeys, sharing their experiences (the good, the bad and the ugly.) Columns feature big-picture topics in commercial real estate, finance, insurance and law, and departments provide lifestyle articles covering everything from sport and luxury cars to gadgets, dining out and travel.
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URBAN AIR TRAMPOLINE & ADVENTURE PARK
Urban Air is the Nation’s #1 destination for family fun featuring a variety of attractions perfect for all ages. Urban Air Trampoline & Adventure Park is the perfect venue for kids’ birthday parties, church events, corporate gatherings or a day out for some family fun. For more information on the company and franchising opportunities please visit www.UrbanAirTrampolinePark.com
For more information on the FW Inc. Entrepreneurs of Excellence program, visit www.FWTX.com/FWinc/EOE.
